Cincinnati Training Academy Makes Teachers the Customer, Not the Captive

Cincinnati doesn't just help its aspiring teachers, it also offers
top-notch growth opportunities for its current ones.

At the Mayerson Academy for Human Resource Development here,
teachers who enter the building's sleek, modern facade have access to a
wide array of courses and technologies designed to enhance professional
learning.

It's open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Saturday, 50 weeks a
year. Although it's hard to imagine a teacher not wanting to come by,
its organizers promise that their intent is not to drag anyone in.

"Most everything is done on a voluntary basis," explained Larry G.
Rowedder, the academy's president. "We see teachers as customers, not
as captives."

Established in 1992 with private contributions, the nonprofit center
represents a partnership between the city's public schools and business
community. The seven-member governing board includes the district's
superintendent, school board president, teachers' union president, and
four others from outside the school system.

To free the academy from budget threats and administrators' whims,
it has been set up to maintain some separation from the school system.
In fact, schools Superintendent J. Michael Brandt proudly declares the
academy to be "superintendent proof."

Still, the academy has a contract with the district to serve
Cincinnati's teachers, who can attend courses there free of charge. But
other teachers and districts from around the country have paid to
attend. The academy served a total of 3,000 teachers in 1996.

High-Tech and Homey

Once inside, teachers can take advantage of core courses, through
which they can earn graduate-level equivalency credits, or take
one-time special-topic "action labs."

What's more, teachers can sit in comfortable chairs that are built
for adults rather than youngsters.

All of this first-class treatment is, of course, offered for a
reason. "We're going to treat teachers with the respect and dignity
that professionals deserve," Mr. Rowedder said, "knowing that they're
going to go back and treat students the same way."